Deliver Us
by Vibrant Spectrum
Summary: Hitsugaya will have to return to his hometown in the human world to save them from generations of tyranny. But will he be able to raise his sword against his own descendants?
1. Boy

Vibrant Spectrum here again, writing my first songfic, although I don't know whether only one chapter with a song counts as a songfic. Yes, this means that there will be more chapters. I also have another one that I am currently working on, but this one feels more natural to write. Well, you readers know what most of us authors are like. Plain lazy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, but I think I have privileges on the plot for this fic. If you see any fics with roughly the same idea as mine (for example, the song), please tell me and I will check it out. I need inspiration.

**Deliver Us**

Cracks pierced the hustle of the workers, followed by an occasional cry from a loved one. Sometimes, a scream and a cruel laugh, before the harsh cry of "If you don't want to end up like him, stop staring and get back to work!"

_With the sting of the whip on my shoulder  
With the salt of my sweat on my brow  
Elohim, God on high  
Can you hear your people cry:  
Help us now  
This dark hour..._

As they worked, the villagers spoke in their native tongue. If they were caught speaking, the guards used their whips on them without hesitation. While the rags were torn off the victim's back, he would cry out, pleading …

_DELIVER US  
Hear our call  
Deliver us  
Lord of all  
Remember us, here in this burning sand  
Deliver us  
There's a land you promised us  
Deliver us to the promised land  
_

"Please! Help Me! Anybody, please help me! Dear God Almighty, I know you're listening! Please, I beg you, send someone to help us all!" The whip would crack, harder and more often, for acknowledging a God other than their beloved leader.

Feet thudded across the dusty ground, coupled with heavy panting. A rustle in the bushes and the sound of men of a manhunt before complete silence. A woman crawled along a river bank, dragging a basket with her, with a little girl following behind her. The woman opened a reed basket and brushed her fingers across it lovingly for a moment. Then, sobbing lightly, she closed the basket and floated it on the river, singing all the while_._

_Yal-di ha-tov veh ha-rach  
Al i-ra veh al tif-chad  
My son, I have nothing I can give  
But this chance that you may live  
I pray we'll meet again  
If He will deliver us  
_

_Hush now my baby  
Be still, love, don't cry  
Sleep as you're rocked by the stream  
Sleep and remember  
My last lullaby  
So I'll be with you when you dream_

_River, o river  
Flow gently for me  
Such precious cargo you bear  
Do you know somewhere  
he can live free?  
River, deliver him there..._

The woman watched as the basket longingly as it drifted off and almost reached out and pulled it back. She did not notice her daughter scamper off, all the while keeping an eye on the basket as it floated downstream…

_Brother, you're safe now  
And safe may you stay  
For I have a prayer just for you:  
Grow, baby brother  
Come back someday  
Come and deliver us too..._

She watched the basket bump on the shore of the King's personal beach, where his daughter usually visited on a daily basis. His sister smiled to herself. There was no better place to grow up then in the King's own household, and his daughter was one of the kindest people in the tyrant's kingdom. She turned and left, returning to her mother's side to comfort her.

Hours later, the Princess approached her usual spot on the shore. She noticed a brown basket resting on the sand, with a muffled crying emanating from it. Opening it, she gasped as a baby was revealed to her. When he saw her, the boy stopped crying and smiled up at her, reaching up for a hug. He laughed at her surprised face, not knowing that it was his shockingly white hair or his teal eyes that made her so astonished to begin with.

The Princess lifted the child from his basket tenderly. She summoned two servants to her side, and handed the baby to them, giving them orders to feed and clothe him. As they took him from her arms, she searched her mind for a suitable name for him. She never came up with a name, and when she wanted him, she simply called him "Boy".

**_  
A Few Years Later…  
_**

Before the King had passed away, he had made sure that he had chosen a suitable heir to his throne to marry his daughter. The second King was similar to his predecessor in every way; the only difference was their name. His bride, now Queen, was unconcerned with her spouse – she was content as long as she was continued to be pampered. Unfortunately, all the riches had made her heart rotten, and she eventually became the cruellest Queen in the history of the village, even sentencing innocent servants to torture chambers for her own amusement.

"Boy! Where are you? Wretched son of mine, show yourself!" The Queen yelled as she stormed along the corridors. Her second son, born from her, wanted someone to 'play horsie with him'. The Queen would often go to great lengths to please her favourite, even to the extent of letting her first son be treated like an animal.

"Boy! BOY!! If I find you, you'll get into BIG TROUBLE!" screamed the Queen. There was a crash around the corner. The woman hurried to investigate the source, and found her son amidst broken pottery. Apparently, he had taken to squeezing himself into the decorative jars which had been placed throughout the palace.

The boy stood up and scowled at his mother. After spending most of his 8 years outdoors, his skin had become a sun-kissed golden-brown, unlike the rest of his royal family, who preferred to rest under the shade. He had been hiding because he knew his mother was looking for him, and he wanted to annoy her as much as he could before he got in trouble. He found her despicable, and was glad of any respite from her harsh ways.

"Boy. My son is waiting for you. Go to him now, but remember that once he is done with you, I will be waiting to deal out your punishment for keeping the royal heir to the throne waiting." She returned his scowl with double the venom, and shoved him towards the Prince's playroom.

**_  
Several Hours Later…  
_**

The boy limped out of the room, groaning with every step he took. Not only had the young prince demanded that they play 'horsie', but he also wouldn't leave his adopted sibling alone until he was lifted so that he could touch the ceiling, or until they played one-man twister, or until he had done a proper handstand for a full two minutes.

The eight-year-old dragged himself to his tiny room. He turned a corner and almost walked into his mother. His teal eyes widened as he remembered her promise from earlier, and he took several steps back. His mother matched his steps forward. The boy turned and fled, with his mother, usually so dainty, chasing after him down the halls.

Down this corridor, up that flight of stairs, round and round and round. Finally, the Queen managed to corner him on the top floor. She hunted in every pot, looked behind every door. Every door, except for the one that led to the balcony. It was in the middle of winter and her 'son' was only wearing thin cotton which was absolutely unsuitable for the cold. Surely her son did not have the guts to go outside.

Behind that one door through which she did not bother to look, the white-haired boy stood shivering, sifting through his options in his head. The only escape was to jump, but they were about five storeys above the ground. If he went back, he would simply be admitting defeat, and would never be able to pull something like this off again. However, if he continued to stay, it was very likely that he would freeze to his death.

The boy glanced down. If he was careful enough, he just might be able to climb down using cracks and footholds on the building. Better than standing here and waiting for her to find me, he thought to himself as he clambered over the railing.

Slowly, he inched his way down the side of the building, clinging for dear life onto the cracks. When he managed to get down to the third floor, the boy stopped, pausing to catch his breath. He hung by his fingers, which were already numb with cold, from a windowsill and stopped for a moment.

Before the eight-year-old could react, the window slammed shut on his fingers. He hissed and chewed his lip to stop himself screaming while he tried to free his hands. While he worked, a pipe leading to the fourth-floor kitchen rumbled. That day was garbage day, and the Queen's first son was directly below the garbage pipe.

Unfortunately, the first thing that the chef decided to get rid off was some hot tea with too much sugar in it. The boy squealed and wrenched his fingers free. He fell down all three stories, and landed in the garbage pit below him. Hard. The rest of the garbage landed around him, but the boy was too tired to care, or try to climb out of the pit.

He spent two hours just lying there, until the blizzard came. Then, the boy saw white. He was completely surrounded by white, even after he closed his eyes to the world.

_Grow, baby brother  
Come back someday  
Come and deliver us too..._

**-0-0-0-O-0-0-**

Sorry if this fic was too short, but it was more of an introduction for my idea than anything else.

Wow, you actually made it to this paragraph! I hope you enjoyed reading this. Again, if you do see something like this something like this anywhere, please tell me. I NEED IDEAS. Also, if you have any feedback, comments, constructive criticism, songs (for the next chapter), suggestions or something I forgot to mention, please feel free to review and tell me, or message or email me.


	2. Change

Since I got such quick response, I decided to start on this quickly

I hope you didn't have to wait too long for this chapter, and that you enjoy it.

**Credits**: The song I'm using for this chapter is Another Day Goes By, which is sung by Dope. I got the lyrics from . I got the lyrics for Deliver Us from , but I don't know who sang it. However, I only used bits and pieces of each song. If you want the links, please feel free to ask me, and I will gladly tell you.

Since I don't really have anything left to say, I'll just start now. Oh, and in case you didn't get it, the previous chapter was when Hitsugaya was alive. In this chapter, he is the Captain of the Tenth Squad. Just telling you in case you get confused.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

**Deliver Us**

"MATSUMOTO!!" A typical day in the Tenth Squad headquarters, with an annoyed Captain and his lazy Vice-Captain.

"Hmm? Just… Just five more…" Matsumoto mumbled and fell asleep again. Her Captain sighed and ran a hand through his white hair. _It's a shame she has a contract, or else I would have replaced her by now,_ he thought.

Sipping some tea out of his cup, Hitsugaya left his office, choosing to have a short stroll around to unwind a bit before going back to work.

As he walked, Hitsugaya surveyed the monotonous weather. It only ever got cloudy when he summoned Hyourinmaru to his aid, but other than that, the weather was always fine. Sometimes, the Captain wished that there would be some change in the weather, even if it was only dark clouds gathering in the sky. At least it was different.

_Another day goes by._

_And I don't understand or know the reasons why._

_I'm looking for a change in life,_

_But another day goes by._

_Here we go again._

Heading back to his office, he sighed again. His life was also quite monotonous. He was always doing paperwork, his Vice-Captain was always on the couch or out drinking, and nothing interesting ever happened. Hitsugaya knew that the peace of Soul Society was the most important thing for him, but sometimes he just wished that _something _more interesting would happen for once. Surely peace came in other forms other than this tediously dull routine day after day after day!

_It's today._

_I wish it was tomorrow though I think I'd say_

_You know I think it feels just like yesterday._

_So lately I've been looking for a change,_

_But the more things change,_

_The more they seem to stay the same._

_Here we go again._

Hitsugaya entered the office and walked to the couch. He prodded her, and considered drawing something on her face for falling asleep, but fought off the temptation and sat down at his desk again. _You see,_ his inner voice said, _this is why you are so bored. You don't bother to change anything._

_Oh, shut up, will you? I have work to do,_ he argued back, and then, _Oh no… I'm arguing with myself. Must be the stress…_ Hitsugaya shuffled his papers and set himself to do a good two hours worth of paperwork.

What was this? Hitsugaya read a piece of paper with interest. It was a request to deploy more Shinigami to the human world. Apparently, there was a Hollow infestation. Fortunately, it was only an isolated village, so news of sudden and mysterious death would not spread easily.

_It's a new day._

_It's almost like tomorrow never came._

_Same old thing, same old game, different name._

_And everyday I sing the same old song._

_And today I don't feel like waking up,_

_But the show must go on and on and on._

Hitsugaya signed the form and placed it on the neat pile of finished work. He wrote the last few reports and stacked them on top of the growing pile. Finishing off the last of his drink in one gulp, Hitsugaya walked to the couch and prodded Matsumoto again.

"Oi! Matsumoto! Get up and bring these to the mail room… Oi! Wake UP! If you don't get up right now, I'll make you deliver every one of these papers alone!"

"Ok! I'm up, I'm up! Jeez, Captain, cut me some slack, will you?" Matsumoto grumbled as she rolled off the couch. The Captain fought the urge to roll his eyes and said, "Matsumoto, if I cut you any more slack, you wouldn't be working under me anymore. Get my drift?"

The blonde's face was tinged with slight horror at the prospect of losing the easiest job in Soul Society. "Y-yes, Captain, I'll go right away…" She picked up the papers and virtually sprinted out of the door, trying to prove to her Captain that she could still her job when necessary.

Hitsugaya watched her go, and reached out for her spiritual power. When he felt her leave the mail room and head away from headquarters, he dropped the pursuit. Obviously, Matsumoto would not be back for at least three hours – she was heading to the bar with Renji.

He retrieved his cup and brought it to the tea-table in a corner, where he made more tea for himself. He had finished his paper work, but Hitsugaya was confident that within the next half an hour more would arrive. The Captain sat down on the sofa, sipping his tea, just relaxing. It was somewhat different from the fast-paced paperwork life, and Hitsugaya was grateful for the change. It was almost exactly what he had been looking for.

_Another day goes by._

_And I don't understand and I don't pretend to try._

_I wanna change my life,_

_But another day goes by._

**  
15 minutes later…  
**

Hitsugaya's tea cup was now empty. He placed his cup on the tea-making table and left to relieve himself. When he came back, he found a fresh list of work to be done. _Amazing the way they always deliver work without being seen…_, Hitsugaya thought while he surveyed the list.

Looking back, Hitsugaya would say that that was when the real change had happened. Unfortunately, it was not the type of change he had been hoping for. As compared to his peaceful joy at being able to take a break, this change could possibly have thrown him into turmoil, even if it was only temporary.

As he was surveying the list, a Hell Butterfly fluttered into office and alighted on his finger. Hitsugaya listened for a moment, before dropping everything and leaving for the Headquarters of the First Squad.

_So many days gone by._

_I still don't understand, but now I realize_

_I'm gonna change my life, that's right_

_While the days go by._

_I'm gonna change my life, that's right_

_While the days go by._

A Hell Butterfly had been sent to all Captains, calling for at least one volunteer to report to the Captain General's office immediately. Apparently, very shortly after Hitsugaya had signed the form to deploy more troops to the village in the human world, most of them had been killed or severely injured, with only a lucky handful who were able to make it back alive.

Obviously, whatever the situation in the human world, it was too much for ordinary Shinigami to handle by themselves. This time, the Captain General seemed like he wanted to go all out on this one. Anyway, wasn't Hitsugaya looking for a change? He might as well go for it – it might give him something interesting to do for a while. At this point in time, virtually anything was better than paperwork.

Outside the doors of the Captain General's office, Hitsugaya hesitated for a moment. Then, he knocked on the door and pushed it open.

The Captain General glanced at him. "Captain Hitsugaya. You are the first one here. I am glad that you are so eager to help. Please be patient while I clear this. Then, I will begin to brief you."

Hitsugaya suddenly felt sorry for the Captain General.

Yamamoto put his brush down and said, "Well, it looks like have first priority on this mission. Also, if anyone else decides to go, you will have leadership rights.

"A village in the human world has been overrun by Menos Grande, possibly Adjuchas. Your mission is to go to the village and rid it of the Menos Grande. After that, you are to stay there for a few weeks to ensure that they do not return, and if possible, discover how they got to the human world and close the portal. We will be on alert should you request for backup or help, and will grant limit release as soon as possible. You are to leave as soon as possible. Any questions?"

"Just one, sir. How powerful are these Adjuchas?" asked Hitsugaya.

The Captain General paused for a moment and said, "They managed to take out most of your squad and the Eleventh Squad in one fell swoop. Keep that in mind, and use Bankai if you have to."

Hitsugaya arched his eyebrows, but said nothing. _The Eleventh Squad? I'd better be careful…_, he thought.

"That is all, Captain Hitsugaya. Dismissed." The Captain General waved his hand and returned to his work.

Hitsugaya nodded, even though he doubted that his boss had noticed, and slipped quietly out of the room. He searched for Matsumoto's riatsu and found her hanging out with Renji, Kira and Iba. He summoned a Hell Butterfly and whispered his message to it, and then he left for the gates leading to the human world.

**  
In the Human World…  
**

The Captain of the Tenth Squad stood on the outskirts of the village, looking down at it from a hill. Villagers walked around doing their work, unaware of the colony of Adjuchas staring down at them from their roofs. Children rode on bicycles or kicked a ball around in a field. In the distance, a palace towered ominously over everything else. The palace gave Hitsugaya a slight shiver, but he thought it was the dead silence of the villagers that caused it.

The sun was already setting. Hitsugaya took in his surroundings. The Adjuchas had not noticed him yet, so he would have the element of surprise. He decided to use the cover of darkness to his advantage. If he could not kill any of the Menos Grande, he could at least find out how they got there, what they were doing there, or why the villagers were so quiet.

He waited until the sun had set properly, when it was very dark, before he began to make his move.

**0-0-O-0-0**

Chapter 2, complete! Guess what? I think this is the shortest time I have ever taken to finish a chapter! This is because I got a review so quickly. I know it's only one review, but the fact that I got it so fast gave me motivation. So thank you, McLovable, for giving me motivation! I hope you enjoyed what you have just read.

Sorry for any mistakes in my grammar or spelling. Oh and before I forget. The next chapter might or might not come out this quickly. I have major examinations coming up in a few weeks, so I can't spend as much time writing.

Well, that's all! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Until the next chapter, then. Bye!


	3. Information

WOW! In just a few _**hours**_ of submitting Chapter 2, I got reviews! REVIEWS! I also have lots of people who have added this fic to their favourites or story alert list!

**THANK YOU!!**

I'm so glad that you guys are so supportive of this fic, and that you enjoy what you have read so far! I'm sorry if you had to wait a while for this one, but like I mentioned in the previous chapter, I am having exams in early October.

Replies:

**Orabit** – I am replying only your review because you did not leave your email address when you dropped by (it will not be shown in the review itself; I am the only one who can see it). If you do not mind my replying you in this manner, then you don't have to leave your email here. If you give me your email, I will reply you personally.  
I am glad you enjoyed it so far, Orabit. Thank you for your suggestion – it gave me inspiration for an idea I will use either in this chapter or the next one. The credits will be placed after this paragraph and one more time at the end of this chapter. Thank you for reviewing and showing your support.

**Credits**: Chapter 1, Deliver Us from Prince of Egypt. Chapter 2, Another Day Goes By which is sung by Dope. Chapter 3, I wrote it myself. It has no title or tune because it was created specifically for this story. Should you wish to use the phrases, add more words, a title or a tune, feel free to do so, but please inform me first. If you want the link from where I got the other lyrics, tell me and I will gladly give them to you.

As for everyone else, thanks for reading up to this point too. The fact that you are here shows that you like this story, and are keeping track of it, so thank you again. I will reply as many reviews as I can. If you leave your email address (which is not shown), I will be able to contact you directly.

Disclaimer: One of these days, I'll get Kubo Tite up here to tell you that he owns Bleach and I don't.

**Deliver Us**

The moon was covered by clouds. Perfect conditions for a shinigami Captain to sneak around a dead-quiet village. Hitsugaya slipped from his hiding spot and flash-stepped to the shadow of a hut, making sure to mask his riatsu. He glanced up at a nearby roof, on which an Adjuchas crouched. Close-up, they were even bigger and more grotesque.

_Waiting in the shadows_

_To win a fight,_

_You must first find out 'bout your enemies_

He made sure that the creature was looking the other direction before he entered the hut. Hitsugaya was lucky. The hut contained a family of five. The parents stared at the ground hopelessly, while their three children muttered worriedly to each other in a tone children should never use.

When Hitsugaya walked in, the children stopped talking and they stared at the ground. The parents did not seem to have any reaction to this sudden silence, but Hitsugaya could feel five pairs of eyes swivelling in his general direction. All five people in the hut were looking at Hitsugaya out of the corner of their eyes.

Hitsugaya felt their eyes on him and fought the urge to shiver. It was rare to find an entire family so perceptive to spirits. He tucked away every last tendril of his spiritual power and felt their eyes leave his face. Inwardly sighing with relief, Hitsugaya approached the family and tested their riatsu gingerly. All of them had quite high spiritual powers, but only enough to sense him or Hollows without being able to see them.

_Is this why they're so silent all the time? Because they sense the Adjuchas?_ Hitsugaya mused as he left the hut. Looking around, he made sure the coast was clear before moving.

In the next few huts, the situation was the same. Families sat quietly, the children whispering among themselves. All of them had a surprisingly large amount of riatsu. He slipped out of the last home.

Hitsugaya's head snapped up, and he froze in the shadow. Somewhere to his left, around the corner, was an Adjuchas. He could not see it, but from the power it emitted, Hitsugaya guessed that it was just a young Adjuchas, barely sixty years or seventy years old, with no chance of evolving anytime soon. The voices in the hut fell silent. Obviously, they could feel its presence outside their home too.

Hitsugaya tensed. If the Adjuchas ate a soul, there was no telling how much damage it would cause, not to mention the spiritual power it might or might not gain – whether Adjuchas could evolve by consuming human souls was still unknown to Shinigami.

The best thing to do in this situation would have been for Hitsugaya to lure the Adjuchas away to a deserted area, interrogate it, and then finish it off. However, this was only in the worst case scenario, if the Adjuchas attempted to eat someone's soul.

_Draw my gun, finger on the trigger_

_Ready to pounce, to devour_

_Don't destroy that innocent family_

Hitsugaya reached behind him and grasped Hyourinmaru's hilt, ready to attack at a moment's notice, and peeped around the corner. His eyes widened. The Adjuchas, a muscle-bound giant of a monster, had begun cackling as his hand stretched out towards a window. Hitsugaya shifted into decoy mode and flash stepped in front of the creature, before moving quickly onto the next roof.

The Adjuchas moved according to plan. He paused, hand outstretched, and turned to look at Hitsugaya on the roof. Then, the Adjuchas laughed. "You are a Shinigami? You are even punier than those humans! I will crush you easily!" The Adjuchas rumbled and tried to snatch the Captain off the roof.

Hitsugaya reacted with equal speed, dodging the massive hand and landing on another roof. He made sure the Adjuchas saw him before he started running, heading for his hiding spot on the cliff overlooking the village.

"Ha ha! You think you can escape Hinakao that easily, puny one? That's right, run, you cowardly shrimp, RUN!" The Adjuchas laughed again and lumbered after the Captain thoughtlessly.

_Don't be too mindless; it could mean your death_

They arrived at the cliff, and Hitsugaya stopped at the edge of the rock formation. He spun around and stared at his opponent head on.

"Heh. No where to run now. The time for fun and games are over. I'll finish you off quickly," Hinakao said as he pointed a glowing palm at Hitsugaya, preparing for a Cero.

Hitsugaya raised an arm to shoulder height. "That's right. I will end you – as soon as I get some answers. Way of Binding, Number 61, Six Rods Prison of Light!"

Six wide beams of light appeared around Hinakao and slammed into his waist. The Adjchas' yellow eyes widened behind his mask. He was trapped at the mercy of Hitsugaya, and he knew it. Hinakao struggled in a vain attempt to break his bonds.

"Tell me everything. Even if you refuse or lie, I have my ways of making you speak. You might as well make it easier for yourself."

Hitsugaya really knew how to get people to do things his way.

* * *

"Captain-General Yamamoto. This is Captain Hitsugaya, calling from the human world to report on my findings. I have just captured and interrogated an Adjuchas. What has been revealed is disturbing.

_Sometimes, it's better not to know_

_It's easier to sprout wings and fly_

_But the truth must be made known_

"According to him, the ruler of this village possesses Hollow-like powers, probably similar to those of Substitute Shinigami Kurosaki Ichigo. Ever since the Hollows in the area discovered this, their respect for her grew, and she became their leader."

Hitsugaya recounted everything he had learned from the Adjuchas. How the Queen, as a Princess, could always see Hollows, and how she had one day killed one. How her abnormal Hollow powers grew, and how she locked her mother up, took the throne, and ruled the village with an iron fist.

How the villages had tolerated it for a while before the rebelled against their new Queen; how she had barely won by commanding the Hollows living there to kill all the influential people of the village, how, after the common dream of overthrowing her had been squelched, she had sent Hollows to kill all the villagers and visitors with low riatsu to attract more Hollows.

The Queen also used the Hollows, now Adjuchas from feeding off each other, to keep the villagers in check. She kept them there with the claim that she could transform them into Vasto Lorde, and possibly even arrancars. The few who did not desire that stayed for the high spiritual powers of the humans or the large numbers of Hollows that gathered there.

"Sir, I await my instructions." Hitsugaya paused respectfully to allow the Captain General to consider everything that he had just learned, as well as to come up with a suitable plan.

Yamamoto was silent for a few minutes, and then he issued his order to Hitsugaya. "Use your gigai and infiltrate the village. If you do not have it with you now, contact Urahara Kisuke and have him give you one. I am sure he has spares lying around. Learn everything that you can about the Queen. Try to capture her and bring her to Soul Society; if you are successful, I will have Captain Kurotsuchi to probe her and her powers. However, if you find that you are unable to take her back alive, then kill her. We must not allow someone like her to exist.

"Use any means necessary, Captain Hitsugaya. She is a threat to everyone, especially if she possesses the ability to create Vasto Lorde or arrancars. Her capture will now be your top priority; after that, I will send someone to clean up the Hollows – they will be disorientated without their leader. I expect that you will be able to handle the capture of the leader on your own; we will not send backup unless requested. Also, keep in mind that should you need a limit release, we will be on standby waiting for your call. Dismissed."

The Captain General severed the communication link. Hitsugaya was left standing on the cliff. The wind ruffled his hair as he pondered his next move. Whipping out his phone, Hitsugaya punched a number into keypad and held the phone to his ear.

"Urahara Shop, how may I be of service?"

* * *

"Considering I don't know which part of the Human world I'm in, you came pretty fast." Hitsugaya commented casually, his remark laced with suspicion.

Urahara shrugged. "I would tell you how I managed to get your position so quickly, but then you would probably have to arrest me." Beside him, Yoruichi washed herself, too busy to offer her comments.

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow but refrained from asking. Instead, he directed the conversation to the reason why Urahara had gone all the way from Japan to an isolated little village. "Do you have the gigai, Urahara?"

Urahara smiled. "Of course. I also took the liberty of bringing one of my latest inventions. It's a riatsu scrambler, so that no one can recognise your riatsu from the time you inspected the huts. You can also reset it any time you wish, so that you'll have a new riatsu.

Hitsugaya felt a bit more relaxed. He had been wondering how to tackle he would tackle the problem of the first family that had felt his presence and would definitely identify his spiritual power.

"So, Hitsugaya, what's the plan?" Urahara glanced sideways at Hitsugaya while he packed away the gigai and riatsu scrambler he had taken out to show the Captain.

Hitsugaya pondered the question for a moment. "We should rest for the night. At dawn, I put on the gigai and you help me with the riatsu scrambler. After that, I will infiltrate the village."

Urahara nodded. "Okay. Goodnight then, Toushiro." He promptly lay down on his side and fell silent, with the cat curled up in his hat.

Hitsugaya frowned, wondering if he should move further away from Urahara to sleep, but decided against it. "That's Captain Hitsugaya to you." He lay down, facing away from the older man, and fell into a dreamless slumber.

* * *

Phew. Done at last. After a month of preparations for my exams, and a few days, I have finally been able to finish this chapter. I'm sorry if I kept you waiting.

Oh, and I apologise for the 'song' as well, which in my opinion, was quite badly done and too short. Heck, it's only made up of random phrases! Please tell me what you thought of it, and if you would prefer if I wrote phrases instead of searching for songs. It was written by me because I couldn't find anything that would suit this chapter.

Thank you, dear reader, for reaching this point. I think that the fact that you are still here means that you are enjoying the story so far, and that you are waiting to see what will happen next. Well, I think it will be an interesting chapter four up next.

Please give any suggestions you might have as they will be greatly appreciated, and will probably be used. Also, for reaching this point, I have a random little Hitsugaya one-shot for you (which is related to the chapter above, and there might be future references to this part).

* * *

Hitsugaya awoke with a start. For a moment, he didn't know where he was, then, he remembered his mission. He got ready to get up, clean himself and do his morning exercises when he heard voices behind him, where Urahara and Yoruichi were sleeping. Hitsugaya strained his ears to listen and got a shock.

"P-please, harder!" A deep voice purred. "As you wish, Yoruichi." There was silence, followed by a throaty moan and a purr of pleasure.

Hitsugaya's eyes widened. He may have been young, but Hitsugaya had been taught how babies were made. From what he had heard from his Academy days, it was supposed to be pleasurable, with lots of moans. He had even once been shown a 'video' by a classmate who had smuggled it to school, and was given very detailed descriptions by adventurous peers who enjoyed showing off.

He was surprised, too. He knew that Urahara was single and quite old, but he never suspected him of being desperate enough to do a _cat_. Yoruichi was definitely in cat form. He had no doubts; the voice which was purring was very deep and masculine.

"Thanks, Urahara. I've been trying to get someone to do it for me for a few weeks now, but people are just so mean nowadays. Ururu said she had to sort out the goods for Jinta, Jinta threatened to tie my tail to the ceiling beam, and Tessai put me outside! In fact, if you hadn't helped me out just now, I would have asked Hitsugaya.

Hitsugaya paled, and then blushed furiously.

"Oh, look at Hitsugaya!" He felt two pairs of eyes on himself and sincerely hoped they wouldn't ask anything of him.

"Hehe… His ears are red." Urahara chuckled. "Wonder what he's dreaming about…"

"Maybe about that Lieutenant from the Fifth Squad?" Yoruichi's soft footsteps approached the Captain.

Hitsugaya decided to start moving, before either of them could ask him to 'help Yoruichi'. He made sure the blush was completely gone before he sat up.

"GoodmorningexcusemeIneedtocleanup." Hitsugaya mumbled while he got up and ran off in search of some water.

"Ehh? Maybe he had a nightmare…" Urahara mused as he crawled over to Yoruichi and scratched her back, making her resume her purring.

* * *

That was fun. Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I think the next chapter _might_ include some humour, depending on your suggestions and my muses. The chances of something to make you laugh are quite low, though.

I hope this chapter isn't too short, and that you don't wait too long for me to update.

Well, the chapter has finally come to an end. 15th October, 2008. The day the new episode of Bleach was released that was not a filler. The new songs are great! Ok, I'm sidetracking. Well, please look forward to the next chapter!


	4. Scout

Hello all! Sorry for the extremely long wait. For everyone here, **I thank each and every one of you personally** for sticking around for so long. Your patience must be incredible!

Yes, moving on. I have an excuse (as do all procrastinating authors)! Exams start in two days, so I finished this because I needed a way to de-stress. I apologise for making you wait so very long!

Since lyrics are now banned from due to copyright issues, I have no choice but to stop inserting lyrics. Hopefully you'll prefer that?

Disclaimer: -Insert witty phrase stating that the author does not own Bleach here.-

**Deliver Us**

Droplets of cold water slid off Hitsugaya's body as he emerged from the slow-moving river. Not bothering to dry himself off, the Captain pulled on the inner portion of his Shinigami uniform and pulled the ends together.

Glad that the cold water had effectively pushed the thought of Urahara and Yoruichi out of his mind, he slipped his arms into the sleeves of the black half, and tied it them with the sash. Finally, Hitsugaya donned the white haori, which symbolised his status as a Captain and slung Hyourinmaru, his pride and joy, over his back.

Hitsugaya wanted to just sit and rest by the tranquil river, but he knew that he had a mission to complete. And after that, he would have to go back to Soul Society and yell at Matsumoto for one thing or another. Sighing, the youth turned reluctantly away from the stream and headed back towards the cliff. Hopefully, Urahara and Yoruichi would be done doing… whatever it was they were doing.

With his damp white hair clinging to his head, Hitsugaya walked until he arrived at camp. To his relief, both Urahara and Yoruichi, who was in human form, were fully dressed and did not seem to act in a peculiar way around each other.

"There you are, Hitsugaya. You left so quickly just now. Anything the matter?" Urahara asked using his most sincere voice while he hid his face behind his fan and his hat. Hitsugaya knew better, though. The ex-captain wasn't being sincere at all – he just wanted to tease him.

Casting around in his mind for an excuse, he thought of what Urahara had suggested earlier. "Bad dream…needed to wash it off." He mumbled, not wanting them to realise he had overheard them.

Urahara nodded. Yoruichi, who had misheard Hitsugaya, whispered in the Urahara's ear. "See, I told you it was a _wet_ dream."

Unfortunately for Hitsugaya, he heard her. He blushed furiously again, but before he could protest, Urahara took out his gigai and riatsu scrambler.

Hitsugaya unwillingly submitted to a reputation as a pervert and let Urahara put the riatsu scrambler on him. It was a small device which could be clipped onto an article of clothing. Urahara showed him how to use it and clipped it on the belt-sash of his Shinigami uniform. Hitsugaya felt no change to his own riatsu, but Urahara confirmed that it was different.

_I don't feel any difference because it is meant to disguise my riatsu, not alter it,_ he realised.

Urahara passed Hitsugaya's gigai to him, and the boy merged with it so that it was no longer just an empty shell. The gigai, and now Hitsugaya, was wearing a plain long sleeved black shirt, dark blue jeans that reached his ankles, a scarf, and gloves. Most of his attire was tattered.

"Good. You're all set. You know how to contact us – the riatsu scrambler has a homing beacon which you can push if you get into trouble as well. We'll come immediately." Urahara's face was dead serious as he passed Hitsugaya a pole with a red-and-white polka-dotted handkerchief attached to its end. There were some items inside the handkerchief.

"For your story. You can't just wonder into a town with nothing. Use that, and make something up." Urahara gestured at the pole-and-handkerchief.

Hitsugaya peeped into an opening. Inside the makeshift bag was a photo frame, which was turned over, a small blanket, another scarf, and some food, along with a few more items he could not immediately identify.

"Ok! Get moving, Hitsugaya! Yoruichi and I have something to attend to back at the shop!" Urahara smiled brightly and winked before he flash-stepped away with Yoruichi.

Hitsugaya shuddered at the thought. Then, he shouldered the pole and proceeded towards the little village at the bottom of the cliff.

**

* * *

**

Half an hour later, the sky was black with clouds although it was only a few hours after sunrise. Hitsugaya strolled through the outskirts of the village, the pole resting on his shoulder. He glanced at the sky. While Hitsugaya was glad that the weather would soon cool down, he guessed that his gigai might not be able to handle very low temperature.

When he began to see the little huts of the villagers, Hitsugaya slowed down – a traveller on foot should not have so much energy to spare that he can march at a remarkable pace. However, he only stopped when he reached the main part of the village.

The buildings here were much more organised than in the rural regions of the small town. Hitsugaya wandered between the buildings, looking for other humans.

Suddenly, someone tapped the young Captain on the shoulder, and he spun around. Hitsugaya looked up and found himself looking up at a middle-aged woman who was frowning down at him.

"What do you think you're doing, sneaking around like that? And where on God's green Earth did you get those tramp's clothes? You're coming with me, young man!" The woman grabbed his arm and dragged Hitsugaya through several streets and stopped in front of a grey coloured four-storey building.

The woman pulled Hitsugaya through the gates and into the building. Hitsugaya didn't protest -- he wanted to find out more about the system in the town.

Inside the building were many rooms filled with chairs, desks, and humans about the same age as what Hitsugaya appeared to be, give or take a few years.

Hitsugaya was ushered into a room on the left on the first floor. As they walked in, the students and the teacher looked up.

"Good afternoon, Samantha. I've just found a student playing truant and I think that he should be able to cope best your class of monkeys. Good luck, Samantha." The woman shoved Hitsugaya into the room and left.

"Well, don't just stand there! Come in and introduce yourself to the class! What's your name, boy?"

Hitsugaya sighed. He had a _very_ bad feeling about this. "Hitsugaya Toushiro."

"Ok. You are to address me as Miss Harrington. Sit beside Benjamin here," the teacher pointed to a bored boy in the third row. "He'll share his materials with you for today. After each day, you will get a new partner; it increases your interaction with your new classmates."

**

* * *

**

Hitsugaya glared around the classroom. It was bad enough that he had been mistaken for a renegade student and hauled to school, but now he was being virtually ignored, even by the teacher.

Still, Hitsugaya did not mind the second part too much. It gave him a wide opportunity to explore and eavesdrop. Unfortunately for him, no one seemed at all interested in their ruler. All he was able to fine out was that some girl named Jessie had a crush on one of their teachers and that Miss Harrington might spring a pop quiz the later that day because her boyfriend didn't turn up for a date last night.

He groaned and left the classroom immediately after school ended. _Finally, _he thought. _Time to look around a bit._

He walked out the gate, unnoticed, and headed in the direction of the towering castle. On the way, Hitsugaya passed many other adults, but they also acted like he was invisible.

School had apparently ended quite late, because by the time Hitsugaya could see the shadow of the castle, the sun was about to set. He sighed and decided to get some rest. He would need all the energy he could muster to explore the castle the next day.

Hitsugaya rolled behind a hedge and sat down, preparing for the night. It did not matter that he had no water to bathe in; Hitsugaya had not done any strenuous activities anyway. He took out some bread from the handkerchief and began eating, never letting his eyes leave the castle's huge front double doors.

**

* * *

**

Hitsugaya bundled up his blanket and scarf and put them on the dry ground. He had spent many hours staring at the doors until he found that he was stiff from sitting still so long. Finally, after deciding that nothing would happen that night, Hitsugaya had chosen to get some well-deserved rest.

After what felt like a few minutes of sleep, but was probably a few hours, Hitsugaya sat up, wide-awake.

"Arrrrooouuuhh!!" The beastly cry filled the air.

Definitely a Hollow's cry. What if it was hunting for humans like the last one? Hitsugaya knew that he had to intervene.

He stepped out of his gigai and looked out from the hedge. The animalistic sounds had stopped. The Hollow, a small one that resembled a black dog, was sniffing the air, sucking it in through its enlarged nostrils.

Hitsugaya found this strange; there were plenty of houses near the Hollow – why was it acting like it was looking for something? Maybe this Hollow had a certain preference in souls?

Then the Hollow swivelled its head in mid-sniff and stared at Hitsugaya with burning red eyes. It howled and started galloping towards him.

_Crap. It's hunting for _me_._ Hitsugaya scowled and scrambled out of his gigai and onto the road before the Hollow reached him.

He pulled Hyourinmaru out of its sheath and felt his riatsu go up a significantly (but not completely) from the adrenaline rush, even though he had tried to curb it.

With a quick slash to its head, the Hollow faded, the corrupted soul heading for Soul Society.

Hitsugaya sighed and sheathed his sword. As he was returning to his gigai, he considered reducing his own spiritual power. Then, he remembered the people living in the surrounding buildings. They had probably felt him, and while it was not exactly his own riatsu (due to the riatsu scrambler), they would still recognise it. If he could control the amount of spiritual power he released so soon after he had 'gained' so much, it would appear suspicious.

Hitsugaya rolled behind the hedge and went back to sleep.

**

* * *

**

The sun rose bright and early the next day. As usual, Hitsugaya was up before it had risen and had completed his routine morning workout just as the sky was getting bright.

He nibbled on his reducing reserves of bread while planning his next move. Hitsugaya decided that after breakfast, he would scout around the castle for a bit to learn the security patterns of the building before attempting to break in.

After fifteen minutes, Hitsugaya stood, mentally steeling himself for the next task. He slipped out of the bushes in his gigai and headed towards the castle.

* * *

Oh boy. I hope this wasn't too short for your liking. Especially since you've waited so long. If you want it longer, just say the word and I'll do my best. I'll also try to get it out faster next time, but there's no guarantee as I am about to begin my mid-terms. In two days, actually.

Oh yes. Please take care of yourself and don't contract swine flu.

Have a nice day!


	5. Intrusion

Hitsugaya quickly ducked behind a bush as the footsteps came closer. The pair of guards walked by, completely unsuspecting. When they were out of sight, Hitsugaya quickly hauled himself into the window over his head.

He had been scouting the whole area that morning. After finally being able to figure out the pattern of the patrolling guards, he had quickly decided to sneak into the castle.

Hitsugaya dropped gently onto the floor and took in his surroundings. It was a near empty room, with only a few furniture pieces. The room was so sparse… Maybe it belonged to a servant?

Then he gasped. A faint feeling was creeping up within him which he could not identify. Had he been in this room before? Hitsugaya quickly pushed the strange feeling away. He had a mission to complete before he could sort out his own emotions.

Pushing open the door, Hitsugaya quickly slipped out of the near empty room, wary of patrolling guards.

Footsteps, rounding the corner! Hitsugaya looked around for somewhere to hide, knowing full well that his gigai allowed everyone to see him. He scrambled to a large vase, hopefully large enough for him to squeeze into.

Hitsugaya planted a foot on a handle and heaved himself towards the mouth of the vase. He slipped a foot in and put his weight on the vase. Carefully, carefully…

_Crack_. The footsteps stopped, and then hurried. Hitsugaya pulled his other foot up, leaving all of his weight on the vase.

The vase groaned ominously, unable to support his weight. 'Damn,' he thought. 'Maybe I should have left my gigai back there after all… But maybe I can still fake my way out of this…'

The vase gave way and shattered beneath him in a horrendously loud crash. The feet were running now. They rounded the corner and stopped, shocked at the sight of a commoner sitting in the remains of a Ming vase.

Then the owner of the feet smirked. _Just like the good old days_, she thought.

Hitsugaya put on his most irritated face before looking up to face the Queen.

**

* * *

**

She had certainly been surprised, and Queen Rajiko was not one to be easily surprised. The royal advisors from so many years ago had all agreed that an eight year boy had no chance of survival in such a bitter winter, and she had trusted them. _Heads are going to _roll_,_ she thought. _Unless… unless he is one of the Shinigami my Hollow subordinates have told me about. Then that would mean… _

Queen Rajiko smiled down at Hitsugaya, doing her best to stop old emotions from surfacing. "Hello, little one. What might a youngster such as yourself be doing out of school?"

Hitsugaya dusted himself off and stood. "I came to visit Your Highness. We were given the assignment of visiting someone famous for a day, and then we had to write about it." He scrambled together as an excuse which he hoped sounded plausible.

She raised an eyebrow. "I will need to review the school syllabus. However, since you are already here, I will entertain you for a while."

Hitsugaya relaxed. She seemed to have bought it. However, he still needed to watch his step around her; if the 'Queen of Hollows' knew what he was up to, he would get into trouble quicker than you could say 'frostbite'.

He reviewed in his head what he had found out about the Queen so far. She had the ability to communicate to and control Hollows, and there was a possibility that she could turn them into Arrancars as well.

Meanwhile, he had followed the Queen into a large dining room. "Come, boy." Hitsugaya felt a twinge at this. What was it…apprehension? Couldn't be. He pushed it away. "It is time for tea. Please, eat with me and tell me about yourself."

They sat down, Queen Rajiko at the head and Hitsugaya on her left. "What is your name, boy?" The Queen was curious.

"Hitsugaya Toushiro. I have a grandmother and a sister, both of whom live very far away."

"I see. What about your parents?"

He shrugged. "Never knew them." He said through a mouthful of watermelon.

She blinked. _The boy has no memory of me, _she thought. _In that case…_

"Oh, my! What a horrid childhood you must have had! No parents to guide you through life, to offer love and warmth… How terrible…" The Queen put on her best sympathetic face.

Hitsugaya shrugged again. "Like I said, I have a sister and a grandmother. They gave me all the guidance, love and warmth I needed. It's not a big deal, really. I never knew them, so I don't really miss them."

"Oh, no! No, no, no! I must make up for it! As the _caring_ Queen who must look after her subjects, I must ensure that your childhood will be made up for _personally._" She nodded vigorously.

Hitsugaya's face was calm. However, he was thinking furiously. _What is she up to? Does she suspect my real reason for being here? So suspicious… I should act as if she does know from here on out._

"What do you have in mind?" He asked.

"Well, I was thinking… How would you like to stay here for a while? You wouldn't have to go to school because we have private tutors, and I would pamper you as if you were my own son. To make up for your lost childhood. What do you say, Toushiro?" She smiled sweetly at him.

He raised an eyebrow at his first name. _Does she want to keep me here to monitor my activities? Well, two can play at that game… _"First, please refer to me as 'Hitsugaya'. We are not that close that you can call me by my first name."

"By your surname? You're so cold…" She faked a pout. "But very well. I will respect your wishes. Please continue."

"Secondly, how long is your 'a while'? I do have needs outside of material items, you know."

She smiled again. "Oh, Tou – Hitsugaya. You can stay as long as you feel like staying. You could even live here if you wanted to. It's all up to you."

Hitsugaya made a show of nodding gravely and considering. "I see… Well, then I will accept your offer."

The Queen also made a show of smiling joyously and clapping her hands. "Wonderful! Come, we must make preparations at once!"

Hitsugaya quickly swallowed the rest of his watermelon before getting up and following the Queen.

**

* * *

**

Queen Rajiko took his hand as she showed him around. Hitsugaya had tried to struggle free, but she had such an iron grip on him, and he did not want to show off his supernatural strength, so he just gave up.

She took him to her personal quarters and showed him around the splendid room. Then she took him through her walk-in closet, filled with all assortments of everything you could ever dream of that was fashion-related.

Then she pulled him right to the end of the closet and smirked. "This will be your room for the time being," she said.

The Queen pushed the back of the closet, which fell open to reveal a smaller, sparser room, but still quite comfortably decorated.

"What do you think? Our rooms are connected through this closet, so if you have any problems, just call, and I'll hear you." She faked another smile. "But please excuse me now. I have some business I must attend to at once." She smiled again and left, already planning her next moves.

Hitsugaya waited a few moments before following her. However, he made his way to the outside of the palace, looking for a secluded area where he could call the Captain-Commander.

"Hello? Get me through to the Captain-Commander at once."

"Please hold."

There was silence for a few moments. Then the Captain Commander picked up. "Yes, Captain Hitsugaya, what is it?" There was a lot of background noise; it sounded as if someone was singing very well very loudly.

"Uh… Is this a bad time, Captain Commander?"

"A soul just arrived in Rukongai. He's very musically inclined and won't stop singing or dancing. We are now trying to subdue him."

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow. "Captain Commander, I'm calling to give my report on my status."

"…Very well. Proceed."

"The Queen has invited me to stay with her for a while in her castle. I accepted her invitation so that I could keep an eye on her. I am fully aware that it may be a trap, but am fully confident that I will be able to escape without backup. Should it be revealed that I cannot, I have Urahara Kisuke waiting to help me. I await further instruction."

"Be carful, Hitsugaya. She may be more powerful than you think. Do not underestimate her. Keep a careful eye on her, and if she does anything suspicious, report to me immediately."

"Yes, sir!" Hitsugaya cut the connection just as the new soul started to sing another song.

Meanwhile, Queen Rajiko set up her dungeon. It was just about time to tell the boy, and she wanted him to be as uncomfortable as possible.

* * *

Yes!! Complete at last! I hope it was worth the wait!!

Next time, Queen Rajiko reveals their relationship! How will Hitsugaya take it? And what will become of them?

Please review!


	6. Doubt

Chapter 6, here at last! I hope this chapter is worth your wait, because this is when Queen Rajiko reveals her true identity to Hitsugaya! Think he can handle it?

Disclaimer: If I owned Bleach then the fights might not be so long winded.

* * *

**Deliver Us**

"Follow me, I have something to show you." The Queen led Hitsugaya down a richly decorated corridor.

A turn here, down a stairwell there, she led him through the maze of hallways until she was quite sure there was absolutely no way Hitsugaya would find his way back up without her help.

Then they took the spiral staircase down and down. It became colder, and there were no longer any windows when they finally got to the corridors. Hitsugaya could have sworn he heard moans coming from somewhere.

_I haven't been down here in a long time… Maybe just before I found this brat by the river? Well, no matter… Soon, very soon…_ Queen Rajiko's face was unreadable as she went deeper and deeper underground.

Hitsugaya glanced behind and saw their footprints. The only two pairs in any direction. _So, no one's been down here in a very long time. This must be a trap. I must be prepared to leave my gigai at the first sign of trouble._

The two walked together in silence. Finally, the Queen stopped. "Yes. Here we are. Please, after me. Ordinarily, I would ask the guest to go on ahead first, but I must seem very suspicious right about now." She laughed and walked through a rectangular hole in the wall on her left, devoid of doors.

Hitsugaya followed cautiously, already planning possible outcomes and solutions.

The room before him was filled from corner to corner with all kinds of swords. Sabres, daggers, katanas… You name it, it was there. The Queen crossed over to the other end of the room and pulled down two crossed swords from the wall. Then she went back out of the room, with Hitsugaya close behind.

"That was a small portion of my weaponry chamber. Every now and then, I cross blades with the best of the best to keep my skills sharp." She held out one of the swords to him. "What do you say? Are you game, Hitsugaya?" She leered his name.

Hitsugaya scowled and grabbed it from her.

"Tsk, tsk. Temper, temper, little one…" She smirked as she turned away, knowing full well how he hated being called little.

Hitsugaya's scowl worsened, but although he wanted to impale her on the spot, he did nothing of the sort.

She led him to another room further down, which was completely empty. "This is my practise room. I had it made down here because it was cooler here, being underground and everything."

Hitsugaya, having regained his composure, asked, "Don't the prisoners locked down here in the dungeons disturb you?"

The Queen unbuttoned her dress and slipped it off so she was wearing her petticoat. "It's much easier to spar this way. And no, the dungeons are rather far away. I haven't been there in ages. Anyone who's been held captive would be dead by now. Now, are you ready?" She raised her sword.

Hitsugaya held his sword steady in his hand, waiting for her to make the first move.

Queen Rajiko lunged forward, sword aimed at his leg. Hitsugaya lowered his sword, deflecting it to the side and went for her stomach.

Quickly, she rotated her wrist to parry his sword, the force making both swords swing back up. Then she did a quick spin towards him, bringing her sword with her.

Hitsugaya reacted quickly. He jumped away and brought his sword to his side to meet hers again. Sparks flew from the blades as they clashed again and again and again. Then they drew away from each other.

"Not bad, for a kid. Where did you pick up skills like that?" She looked at him questioningly.

"Not bad, for an old lady. Why are you so nosy?" Hitsugaya retorted.

They resumed their stances again and charged forward. The ringing of metal echoed around the underground chamber once more; when they parted again, each had drawn the other's blood.

_I must control my fighting ability with her. If I am not careful, it may reveal my identity,_ Hitsugaya thought. _On the other hand, she is quite good with the sword; she has been able to hold her own against me so far. Maybe I should fake a loss…_

The Queen stood smirking. "Done with your little strategy plan? I know I am." She stepped nearer, sword held ready.

Hitsugaya stood still, reading her body language for any signs of her next attack. He saw her tense and prepared himself just before she started to lunge at him.

She aimed for his sword arm, with the blade slicing through the air from the side. Hitsugaya ducked and tried to jab at her stomach, but she stepped neatly out of the way.

Then the Queen swooped in again. She tried to cut his neck, which he blocked with the flat of his blade. Running the sharp edge against the blade, he attempted to get closer to her, but she flicked her sword around and blocked him.

Queen Rajiko swung her blade in an attempted attack of his face, but Hitsugaya simply ducked under it and sped around behind her. He locked her sword arm with his other arm behind her back and put his sword to her throat. Check and mate.

That is, until she smirked.

"My, my, aren't we aggressive?" Queen Rajiko said. If Hitsugaya could see her face, he would have growled at her ever-widening smirk. "Shouldn't you be kinder to your own flesh and blood, Hitsugaya?"

He tightened his grip on her arm. "What are you talking about?"

Her mouth was so wide, you could have fit an elephant in it. "Why, you really don't remember, do you? I'm your _mother_."

Hitsugaya gasped. Memories exploded and faded like fireworks in his mind, all fighting to be acknowledged by him. It felt like he had just been punched in the stomach. Flashes of the past zoomed in and out of his vision, none of them staying long enough to let him get a proper glimpse. Was she really telling the truth?

Suddenly, he felt a burning pain in his shoulder. Somehow, while he had been distracted, Queen Rajiko had managed to wriggle out of his lock and stab him in the shoulder. Deeply.

The fire in his shoulder spread down to his arm, and he backed away until he reached the wall and slid down it to a sitting position. He glared up at the Queen, who towered over him.

"Don't you have any sense of honour at all?! Using a dirty trick like that to distract your opponent… How disgraceful!" He shot her his most venomous glare.

She sneered. "Ah, but it was no trick, my _son_. I can prove it. Wait right here." She turned and trotted triumphantly out of the room.

She turned and trotted triumphantly out of the room.

_Yeah, right._ He scoffed and got up, quickly leaving as well. Ignoring the pain, he dashed up the stairwell until he found a window. Hitsugaya backed up and took a running leap.

_CRASH!_

Luckily, it was on the first floor. He hit the ground running and didn't stop until he was on the outskirts of town. It was only until he was so far away that he dared to stop and rest.

Then he collapsed, alone with the memories that struggled to break free.

**

* * *

**

She smirked as she watched his run out the window, never looking back. "Will he be coming back? When do I get to meet with him?" Asked the young man beside her.

"Oh, he'll be coming back alright. All Shinigami are too curious about their past. He'll be back to find out more; I guarantee it."

"…Shinigami? What's that?"

"Shinigami." She spat out the word. "Powerful souls who go about destroying my army for no good reason. But what they don't know is that I… No, _we_ have power too."

"But how do you know that he's a Shinigami? He's so… Oh, I don't know… _Puny?_ I mean, aren't Shinigami supposed to be powerful?"

"Now, we musn't judge people by their size. If that were the case, you would be all powerful, but…" She scoffed. "Anyway, he will reveal his true form to us in due time. Meanwhile, we must prepare…"

She fell into deep thought.

**

* * *

**

He sat against a tree with his arms wrapped around himself when the clip-clop of Urahara's sandals was heard.

Hitsugaya didn't need to turn around. "How did you find me?" He asked.

"A special feature of your gigai. I made it so that I would know if it bled. I also put a tracking feature; much easier that running everywhere looking for a bleeding boy."

Hitsugaya nodded absently. He had already made the call to the Commander, so Urahara would know what had happened. Hitsugaya wondered whether his fellow Shinigami faced the same problem of wanting to know his origins. Maybe because he was older, he had already overcome it?

"Toushirou! Are you there?" It took him a few moments to realise that Urahara was prodding him jovially with his cane. He frowned. "What is it?"

"Please step out of your gigai so that I can mend it for you. We can't possibly have you fighting her while injured, now can we?" He nodded, agreeing with himself.

Hitsugaya sighed before getting up and pulling himself from the artificial body. He grimaced as he watched Urahara bend over it and check it for further damage. It felt weird to see someone touch his 'body' like that, even though he wasn't in it at the moment.

"This might take a while, so please rest, Toushirou." Urahara said without turning to face him.

He sighed and sat looking at the scenery from the cliff top. Hitsugaya had had plenty of time to think about what the Queen had said. As much as he wanted to deny it, Hitsugaya had to admit that he _was _curious. After all, all he remembered before Rukongai was the plain of ice. Maybe she had some clues as to how he died? Who he really had been before his death?

But if she really had been his mother, then… Didn't that mean that he was fighting his own mother? Wasn't he rebelling against the one who raised him until he had died?

But if she had been the one who had raised him, she couldn't have been a very good parent, or else he wouldn't have died so young. He vaguely wondered whether she had cried at his funeral.

Then he backtracked. If she recognised him as her son, why did she attack him? It didn't make sense… Unless she was lying? Hitsugaya had no way to tell. There was one thing for sure though; he was definitely going back, whether for himself or for his mission to eliminate her.

…Could he eliminate her? Could he actually go up against what might possibly his mother? There was no telling until he went up against her again.

For some reason, he felt his stomach twist slightly in apprehension.


	7. Trap

Exams have been holding me back. I'm so sorry, but I'm now going to rush this for your sake. I hope that the quality will not be affected due to this rush.

**Deliver Us**

Hitsugaya was outside the window to the Queen's bedroom, about to jump in. He had made up his mind when he left Urahara. Hitsugaya had decided to go without his gigai. Urahara had been taking far too long with the reparations, and Hitsugaya could feel his curiosity eating away inside of him.

So there he was, lurking outside a window on the third story. He slipped in noiselessly and crossed the room to a dressing table. Quickly and quietly, he rifled through everything on top and in the drawers, but he could find nothing of use. Hitsugaya then turned to a wooden wardrobe next to it. There was the walk-in closet, but Hitsugaya guessed that what he was looking for would be more likely to be in the wooden one, or else she would not have offered to share the next room with him in case he stumbled across them.

What are 'they', you might be wondering? Well, maybe not.

'They' were any papers that linked him to the Queen. Birth certificates, photos, first teeth, _anything_. Hitsugaya knew that there was a chance that the Queen may have been sentimental and kept some of his old things, even though the chances were not very high.

He needed to be sure.

After turning the room upside-down and putting it back right-side up, Hitsugaya shifted his attention to the walk-in closet. _It's worth a shot,_ he thought.

Into the closet he went, making sure to close the doors behind him. Before he could react, the floor caved in, taking Hitsugaya with it.

When his feet finally met with the hard floor again, it was in a damp, cool room. He guessed correctly that it was somewhere near the dungeons again. 'She sure likes it down here…'

Hitsugaya looked around, taking note of his surroundings. The walls and floor were made of smooth stone, from which the light seemed to emanate. Being underground, there were, of course, no windows, but the strange thing was that there was no door, either. So how did people get in and out? What was the purpose of a room with no doors? It couldn't have been storage because it was completely empty. There were no human remains, either, so the Queen didn't simply drop people in to kill them.

'Drop…' He looked up at the hole through which he had fallen. Above him, there was a stone ceiling with the same smooth stone. Directly above him, there was a dark square through which he had plummeted.

Hitsugaya jumped upwards through the hole, using the sides of the chute to propel himself further. He kept ascending, but there seemed to be no end to the darkness.

Suddenly, a dark shadow whizzed past him. His foot was snagged on something, and Hitsugaya was pulled back down with the thing.

_Whoosh._

Down they went, until Hitsugaya was once again back on the same stone floor. In the light (which seemed to come from the walls), he was able to get a better look at what had dragged him down. At the first glance, he drew his sword.

Groveling before him was a Hollow. It was clutching its head, as if disorientated. Hitsugya stood still, observing its behavior. Did the Queen send it down to finish him? But he had made every effort to remove his presence from her room. So what was it?

The Hollow looked up with burning red eyes. 'Looks like it has finally noticed me. Time to get to work.'

He made a cautious and harmless first jab. The creature dodged it with ease. In truth, Hitsugaya was buying time to figure out what it was doing here.

The Hollow clutched its white skull again. Or rather, its white mask. It gripped it clumsily, as if it were not yet used to its big fingers. As if it were trying to pry off the mask.

'It's a new Hollow! She throws in souls who are about to become Hollows to let them transform!' The young prodigy had, once again, figured it out.

'In that case, I can't kill it, of she'll suspect something.' He thought, quickly leaping to the chute in the ceiling again. Once more, Hitsugaya ascended, trying to get out.

When he felt that he was nearing the top, Hitsugaya slowed down. There was no light above him, so the trap door was closed. He had to be careful about how he did this, or else she might see him. His head bumped gently on the wood above him, and Hitsugaya stretched out his hand and slowly eased it open.

The door opened easily, without a sound. 'Well maintained… She comes here often.' He observed.

Hitsugaya reached out of the hole to get a better grip on the sides of the chute. To his surprise, a strong hand caught hold of his wrist and hauled him out of it with astonishing effortlessness. As his head came over the rim of the chute, his turquoise eyes met with green ones. The face before him was heavy and square, nothing at all like the Queen's angular, pointed one.

But Hitsugaya only had a moment to take all this in. The owner of the square face hauled him out of the hole and wrapped his thick arms around Hitsugaya's small frame, pressing his face into a wide chest. "Ma, look what I caught!" The deep voice, oddly excited for what seemed to be an adult, came from above him.

Hitsugaya struggled to turn to see who the man was talking to and caught a glimpse of royal purple enveloping a womanly figure. The Queen was behind him. And the big man that was holding him… He had called her Ma. Was this her son? And how was he able to hold him? Hitsugaya was not wearing a gigai, yet somehow the man was able to grab hold of his spiritual body.

"Very good, Puroki. You have served me well. Make sure you don't let go of him, or he'll slip away again."

"What are we going to do with him?"

"Hmm… Any suggestions?"

"Can we keep him?"

Hitsugaya could hear the cruel smirk in her voice. "Of course."

"Where do you want him?"

"Hmm… You can put him down, Puroki."

"…Umm, what?"

"You heard me. Put him _down_." Behind Hitsugaya, the Queen raised her slender eyebrows meaningfully.

"Y-yes, of course." Hitsugaya felt Puroki shift a little before the thick arms spread wide, and he fell…and kept on falling. Puroki had plummeted Hitsugaya back down the same chute.

* * *

I'm ending it here. Partly because I'm stuck, and partly because I'm hungry (for reviews). Any suggestions? Everything will be entertained seriously and sincerely appreciated.


	8. Fight

Hello! I think this was worth the long wait; it has a big fight scene, plot development (maybe even twists?) and it's longer than usual, specially made just for you guys. Enjoy!

Deliver Us

Hitsugaya drew his sword, ready for battle. The moment his sandaled feet met with stone, he darted forward and finished off the disorientated Hollow in a single slash. Now, it was time to get out.

"Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyourinmaru!"

The dragon charged at the walls, rocketing into them with a bullet-like speed. The one on his left collapsed the moment it had been hit. A false wall.

Hyourinmaru vanished as Hitsugaya stepped though the fake bricks of what had been the wall. Behind it ran a lit tunnel which stretched past what one could see. However, it was clear that the floor of the tunnel sloped upwards. It was another way out.

As Hitsugaya ran into the tunnel with his sword drawn for battle, he failed to notice the red dot of light on the wall behind him.

* * *

"Ice-type. Shaped like a dragon. High destructive power." The Queen muttered all this to herself as she watched the screen, Puroki towering silently behind her. "Very well then. Puroki, summon Jiwa and Puma at once. Tell them to prepare for battle."

"Yes, Ma." The giant turned and left, footsteps echoing off the stone underground walls.

* * *

He could see the end of the long tunnel, and there was light! Hitsugaya could also hear the sound of running water, so either the tunnel opened up into a semi-underground cave, or he was headed into one of the smaller gardens that belonged to the Queen's palace.

Hitsugaya sped up, almost sure that the entrance would collapse as he was arriving.

He was proven wrong, however, when he zoomed out of tunnel's mouth without any such event occurring. '_So what's this strange feeling?_'

His senses suddenly screamed at him to leap back, and he was fortunate; moments after he had moved, the ground where he had been standing on exploded in a cloud of dust and smoke.

Hitsugaya gripped his sword tighter as the dust took it's time to settle, readying himself for the next assault.

The dust was snatched away by a sudden breeze, leaving in its midst two teenagers, a boy and a girl.

The boy appeared to be about eighteen. He was tall, with lean muscle that lay concealed beneath his pale skin. His messy blond hair was streaked with red. The boy wore nothing more than a white singlet and dark jeans, and a veil hid his face. Resting on his hip was a sword, still in its orange scabbard.

The girl with him appeared to be slightly younger, maybe sixteen, but it was hard to tell. Her hair was grey and straight, and she wore a sky blue tuxedo, complete with a bowtie and top hat. She, too, had a sword. Its bluish-white scabbard was grasped in her gloved hand, similarly coloured.

Hitsugaya stood silent, observing them. Likewise, they looked at him, making calculations and considering all that the Queen had told them.

"Good afternoon. We are Jiwa and Puma. Welcome to Her Majesty the Queen's palace." The girl bowed at the waist. She was confident enough, Hitsugaya noted, that she dared to lose eye contact for a second. Not that Hitsugaya would have attempted an attack; he had no idea of their abilities.

"To be more specific, I am Jiwa, and she is my sister, Puma." This time, it was the boy who spoke in a lazy drawl. He also appeared rather laid back for someone who was about to fight. "We are under the orders of Her Majesty to eliminate you. Get ready, kid."

However, it was Puma who launched herself forward. Surprisingly, her sword remained undrawn. He quickly dodged it, only to almost get slashed open by Jiwa's sword.

They exchanged blows but were unable to scratch their opponent. The three of them leapt back, panting, and Hitsugaya took this opportunity to scan his surroundings, quickly planning an escape route for himself if he needed it. He spotted one: behind Jiwa and Puma was an archway which was concealed by thick vegetation. His gut instinct told him that it was a safe place although he had no evidence to back it up. Ordinarily, Hitsugaya wouldn't trust his gut without proof, but this was a special situation. Maybe he was remembering something from his past…

Jiwa leapt forward again. Hitsugaya turned his mind from escape routes and to smashing metal against metal. The clangs were deafening, the speed of their limbs staggering.

Jiwa stepped back and Puma took over. Her drawn sword was held before her in an offensive stance.

"Strike from above, Voltrenia!"

The resulting riatsu that was released blew a cloud of dust up from the ground, engulfing Puma. Hitsugaya waited, preparing for the worst. As it cleared, he saw that her form had changed. Her hair was now a startling electric blue, and crowning her head was a helmet with a long spire that curved back slightly near the top. There were blue sparks dancing on her fingertips.

She gestured to her helmet. "You like it? It's the remains of my Hollow mask. Her Majesty broke my mask personally, freeing me from being a mindless Hollow."

Hitsugaya's eyes widened as he realized what this meant. The Queen _could_ create Arrancars after all. Even worse, they seemed to be loyal enough to her to fight in her name. This was bad, really bad.

On top of all that, he now had to fight two Arrancars. He had no idea how powerful they were, but he was certain of one thing: Queen Rajiko would definitely have more Arrancars working for her.

He was brought back to the present as Jiwa, too, raised his sword. It was held horizontally before him, and Jiwa placed his free hand on the back of the blade.

_They're getting serious; I can't afford to underestimate them,_ Hitsugaya thought to himself. _Not when the stakes are so high._

"Consume the world, Firakana!"

Instantly Hitsugaya felt a strong dislike towards his release although he could not explain it. If he had to put the feeling into words, it would probably have been along the lines of their souls being complete polar opposites.

He considered going into Bankai, but was distracted by Jiwa's striking new form. Long red feathers covered him from the navel down. His lean chest was bare, but the feathers ran up his back and along his arms so he seemed to have wings. Cruel talons had replaced his fingernails, and a cocky smirk was plastered on his face. All that could be seen on his eyes, however, were two red dots of light inside a broken Hollow mask that tapered off at his nose, giving him a bird-like appearance. In his clawed hands he held a simple bow, but there were no arrows in sight.

"You ready to rock, kid?"

"Bankai."

Hitsugaya felt Hyourinmaru's riatsu blend harmoniously with his own. Ice encapsulated him and shaped itself into wings, arms and feet. As he was lifted by the wings, he tightened his grip on Hyourinmaru's hilt, readying himself for the inevitable attack.

The ice had made the air around him condense, shrouding him in mist. As it cleared, Hitsugaya was able to make out Jiwa's figure above him, held aloft by his red wings. His bow was cocked, and something burned bright on it. Hitsugaya barely had time to leap from the ground as Jiwa launched an arrow of fire.

Hovering, Hitsugaya saw a black scorch mark where he had been standing moments ago. Keeping an eye on Jiwa, he scanned the ground for Puma and spotted her glaring at him. Her arms were stretched out above her, but they were not pointed at him.

_So she's preparing an attack. Maybe her attacks take time, so he's stalling for her. _He turned his gaze back to Jiwa and found another arrow pointed at him. Hitsugaya ducked and flew to Jiwa in an attempt to slash him. Jiwa did a roll in mid-air and blocked Hitsugaya's next blow with his bow.

They both stepped back and Hitsugaya watched Jiwa carefully. The taller boy plucked a long feather from his left wing and held it to the bow. The feather burst into flames and suddenly another arrow whizzed past Hitsugaya.

Seeing that it had failed, Jiwa plucked three feathers, one from his right wing and two from his left. "Kid, you watching this? Feathers from my right are more powerful than the ones from my left, but I can do combinations to get different intensities." He loaded them onto the bow and took aim.

Hitsugaya brought his wings of ice to shield him in the nick of time. He felt an impact, but nothing that would do any permanent damage; any ice that melted would be quickly replaced by the water vapour in the air around him.

Oddly though, the onslaught did not end after three bursts. It went on for much longer. _Maybe he's trying to stop me from attacking? Well, I know how to deal with that._

Hitsugaya kept count of the arrows until there was a small pause before they flew at him again. After every ten arrows, there would be a small window of time until the next ten arrows smashed against his shield again.

He waited patiently after a pause and counted ten arrows. Hitsugaya then spread his wings wide and charged forward, sword poised for an attack, and Jiwa was caught off guard at his sudden aggressiveness.

Moments later, blood dripped from Hitsugaya's sword and Jiwa's leg wound. Jiwa sank until he barely hovered over the ground, wincing in pain. It was at this point in time that Hitsugaya saw everything from a bird's eye view.

The floor of their battlefield was flooded with water that had melted off of Hitsugaya's wings. Puma was crouched on a low rock platform that was dry but surrounded by the water. The blue sparks that danced on her fingers were now more ferocious than before, and she wore a smirk on her pale face. Jiwa remained just above the water level, glaring up at Hitsugaya. But Hitsugaya caught a trace of confidence laced in the glare. It was a subtle, unintended warning.

He mulled over the situation, careful not to rush into the fight (he had seen too many good men lost because they were reckless).

All at once, Hitsugaya _knew_, without a shadow of a doubt, what they were planning. He had never come across opponent with such cunning before. _They are formidable opponents, not to be underestimated, _he thought. _I _need_ to retreat to come up with new strategies._

Hitsugaya had realised that their plan would have worked against him, would have killed him. He decided to test his hypothesis before retreating.

Hitsugaya swooped down towards the injured Jiwa, feigning an attack. He took care to take note of Jiwa's triumphant expression as the taller boy made to sidestep the attack. At the last moment before impact, Hitsugaya veered towards the sky again.

Hitsugaya fired a volley of ice crystals at them. The siblings blocked the attack, but when they looked up, Hitsugaya was gone. They were completely unaware that he had deactivated his bankai, cloaked his riatsu and headed towards the hidden archway that he had spotted earlier.

Slipping through to the other side, Hitsugaya found himself in another tunnel. He sprinted down it and was relieved to find that it led out of the castle grounds and to a secluded alley in the village.

* * *

"I was testing the waters. They are not that strong alone, but the mastermind behind this put them together to kill me, and it would have worked if I had not noticed it… I need to capture her soon, before this escalates to proportions that we can't handle. That's why I'm requesting your help on this matter."

* * *

Who is he asking help from? What were Jiwa and Puma planning that could have killed Hitsugaya? (I think you can guess the answer to the second one.) I've given you a cliffhanger, haven't I?

I'll have to apologise now because I can't guarantee when the next chapter will be out. I have a major exam this year, so most things outside of studying have been put on hold.

I hope this chapter was really worth the wait!


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